Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 vs. KTM 390 Duke drag race [Video]

The aggressive price tag of the Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 has brought it very close to the KTM 390 Duke, and thus, many of the potential buyers would be interested in knowing about the performance comparison of the motorcycles. Before we talk about the numbers, let us give you a quick recap of the pricing of the new Interceptor INT 650. Royal Enfield launched the neo-classic roadster in the Indian market with prices starting from INR 2.50 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). In comparison, the Made-in-India Austrian pocket-rocket retails for INR 2.26 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 comes close to the KTM 390 Duke in terms of pricing (INR 2.50 lakh vs INR 2.26 lakh) and power (47.6 PS vs 43.5 PS) but the two serve vastly different motorcyclists.

The KTM has an edge when it comes to hardware while the Royal Enfield is about making the 650cc twin-cylinder motorcycles affordable. The Austrian naked roadster’s feature list includes full LED lighting, upside down telescopic front forks and a digital display with Smartphone integration via Bluetooth to control music and calls. The Royal Enfield, on the other hand, features necessary hardware like a semi-digital instrument console, conventional telescopic front forks and twin sided springs at the rear.

From a performance point of view, the KTM has a marginally lower power output, but it is a full 53 kilograms lighter (149 kg vs 202 kg - dry) than the Royal Enfield and that gives it a better power-to-weight ratio.

The KTM 390 Duke’s 373 cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valve engine makes 43.5 PS of power at 9,500 RPM and 35 Nm of peak torque at 7,250 rpm. In comparison, the Royal Enfield’s 648 cc, parallel-twin cylinder, SOHC, oil-cooled, 8-valve engine puts out a maximum power output of 47.6 PS at 7,100 rpm and peak torque of 52 Nm at 5,200 rpm. Both motorcycles use a six-speed gearbox that comes with slip and assist-clutch.

A 320 mm disc at the front and 230 mm disc at the rear provides stopping power on the KTM. The Royal Enfield uses a 320 mm single disc at the front while at the back is a 240 mm disc. Both motorcycles come with dual-channel ABS as standard.

So what happens when you put the motorcycles against each other on a straight patch of road?